Friends and Lovers
by denise1
Summary: Sam thinks while lying with her lover, who it is is part of the fun


Friends and Lovers

by

Denise

Sam pulled herself out of the nightmare with a jerk, struggling to slow her frantic heartbeat and hoping she hadn't awakened her lover.  Carefully she lifted her head off his chest and looked up, relieved to see he was still asleep.  She relaxed again, closing her eyes and letting the steady beat of his heart calm her.

She felt his hand tighten on hers as they were clasped together resting on his chest.  She opened her eyes and studied his callused soldier's hand in the faint moonlight filtering in through the open window.  She marveled how such a deadly weapon could be so gentle.

She remembered those hands drying her tears when he'd found her alone, crying out her guilt and relief after the disastrous mission to P4A771 and the nightmarish time spent in the Antarctic.

Soon after that was the first time they'd made love, the warmth of another body in her bed chasing away the last of the demons.

He teasingly gave her the nickname of Amazon after she and the other women of the base defeated Hathor and she threatened to emasculate him if he EVER told anyone.

Their relationship had been casual, an occasional dinner or a movie, no promises, no commitments...until Jolinar.

Once Janet finally let her go home, he'd knocked on her door, offering what ever she'd been willing to accept.  He'd held her while she cried, helped her clean up the mess when she'd raged, and told her stupid jokes when she'd been depressed.

Wrapped in his arms, he made her feel human again.

Over the next two years, he'd been there for her in so many ways. Sometimes a hot bath and a neck rub after a tough mission. Other times it was as simple as a smile and a wink in the hallway, a cartoon propped on her computer to cheer her up, or one of her favorite candy bars to get her through a late night.

It was his shoulder she'd cried on when Jacob was dying, and again when he left Earth to live among the Tok'ra. He'd even helped her pack up Jake's stuff, laughing with her over old embarrassing school pictures.

He bought pizza and listened to her ramble on and tell him all about 1969, telling her she was allowing him to re-live the time through different eyes when she knew full well it was a year he didn't want to remember.

With both of them confined to the base by the Goa'uld summit, they'd celebrated her promotion with a pilfered cupcake and a stolen kiss in the empty armory.

After the mission to hell and back she'd needed him so desperately she'd gotten a speeding ticket hurrying back to the house they now shared.

He'd greeted her at the door with a hug, a hot bubble bath, cold beer and no questions.  It was exactly what she'd needed. 

He was exactly what she needed.

She opened her eyes again and looked at him. She gently pulled her hand out of his grasp and ran it softly over his close cropped hair, lingering for a moment at the scar over his left eye.  His hair was grayer now than when she'd first met him. It suited him.

Who knew that a bit of verbal sparring over a conference room table would turn into this?

His eyes opened and met hers. "Hi."

"Hi," she answered as he shifted a bit in the bed, relieving a few cramped muscles.

"Nightmare?" he asked, running his fingers through her hair.

"Yeah," she admitted softly.

He reached down, pushing up the sleeve of her T-shirt and traced the bruises on her upper arm. "Those goons didn't hurt you too bad did they?" he asked, concern in his voice.

She shook her head. "No. It's OK."

"Good. Otherwise I'd have to go kick their asses."

Sam smiled and nestled her head in his shoulder, sighing softly, smelling his aftershave.

Perhaps sensing her mood, he spoke up. "Hey. Wanna hear the latest gossip," he offered, knowing she needed a distraction.

She rolled to her side, propping her head on her left hand. "Sure. Give me all the gory details," she ordered, idly playing with his dog tags with her right hand.

"Well, let's see. According to Lt. Clarke, Daniel went home with Fraiser. Graham Simmons asked Lt. Parkins out for a date, and Martouf and Jack got in a fight over you."

Sam giggled and looked up, her eyes wide. "What?"

"According to Sgt. Thompkins, Martouf and Col. O'Neill got in a tussle over you. That's how he got hurt."

"One of Sokar's Jaffa shot the colonel when he tried to stop them from taking me," Sam explained with a smile.

"I figured it was something like that," Lou Ferretti said, glad to see a smile on her face.

"He's got a crush on you, you know?"

"A crush?" Sam giggled again, picturing the colonel in the throes of unrequited crushdom.

"Yes. A crush," Lou asserted. "Don't you  notice how he looks at you?" he asked, an unnecessary bit of jealously creeping into his voice.

"Lou, half the time he pretends I'm his ex," Sam explained.

"I know. It's just every time I hear someone gossiping about the two of you I want to knock them upside the head and set them straight."

"You should enjoy the gossip. I know I do. I mean if the colonel and I made out as often as scuttlebutt says we did, we'd NEVER get any work done. Anyway, everyone is so focused on 'Sam & Jack' they totally ignore you and me. We've been together for over two years and no one on the base has figured it out.  Heck, no one on my team has figured it out.  It's got to be some kind of a record."

Lou chuckled. "You got a point there. Remind me to thank him someday."

"Just don't ever tell him WHAT you're thanking him for," Sam pleaded. "He'll get all cocky and insufferable and I'll have to shoot him and...it'll just be a mess."

"Wouldn't want that now would we major?"

"No major, we wouldn't," Sam responded playfully.

Lou touched her cheek. "You ready to talk about it?" he asked quietly.

Sam shook her head. "Not yet. Let's just..."

"Sleep?" he offered.

"Sleep," she agreed, snuggling closer. Lou Ferretti wrapped his arms around his amazon, both relieved to have her home safe and dreading the next time they might lose each other.

fin


End file.
